Turn Your Home Into A Tech Haven: Sound Edition

Last month, we took a look at four affordable devices you should  consider if you're cautiously looking at ways you can make your home  "smarter". This month we will be taking a closer look at devices that  might interest those with a keen ear.

If playing your music through your Phone/TV speakers' feels like a  crime, then here are some of the devices you may want to check out to up  your speaker game.

Sonos One Smart Speaker

The Sonos One is a perfect example of form and function going hand in hand

The Sonos One is widely considered the best sounding 'smart' speaker  on the market right now and the classy and understated design also  ensures that this can fit in a lot of rooms without interfering with the  look and feel of a room.

It is also Amazon Alexa enabled which means that you can control the Sonos One using your voice.

Google Assistant support will be added some times this year so that's something to look forward to if you're not a fan of Alexa.

The speaker doesn't have waterproofing but it has humidity resistance  which means if your bathroom has a power outlet you can enjoy your jams  in the shower. Like the Home Max, the Sonos One is a wireless home  speaker and has to be constantly plugged in.

Google Home Max

The Google Home Max is an ampped up version of the Google Home mini we talked about briefly last month.

It comes with a smart assistant, to help you take notes, send  messages, schedule important meetings. You can also control music  playback using voice commands if you're into that kind of thing.

Compared to the mini, Home Max is far larger and because of this the  sound quality on offer here is leagues ahead of the Home Mini. This  makes it a far better offering if you're considering having one device  to address both sound and smarts.

The one downside I can think of is the design. The Home Max is huge  -as the name would imply- but the design strikes me as something that  fits in certain rooms more than others.

UE Roll 2

I mean, who doesn't love some music in the shower? Yes, there are a  lot of waterproof speakers. But the general consensus right now seems to  be that the UE Roll 2 is the perfect companion if long showers and  music are a priority to you.

Another reason to consider the Roll 2 is its compact size. The  speaker is quite small and this makes it easy to throw it in your bag if  you are going on a holiday or to a friend's house but you don't want to  disrupt your shower routine.

JBL FLIP 4 — The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

The fourth entry in our compilation this time around is a bit of a  cheat! The JBL 4 is a wireless speaker that is usually recommended for  those who are constantly on the go because of its rugged nature.

I think the fact that this wireless speaker is made to take a beating  makes it perfect for any household that has toddlers. A kid could care  less about the fact that an egg is more fragile than a rock. To them all  they see is something to play with so the utilitarian design of the JBL  Flip 4 and features such as waterproofing make this a must get if you  fear your kids may spoil the party.

The fact that the JBL can take a knock also makes it the most  versatile speaker on this list. The Google Home and Sonos are  stay-home-speakers. The UE Roll 2 can be carried around but the JBL has  superior sound quality and it looks cooler (in my opinion) and that  makes it the best to consider if versatility is on your mind.

*All speakers on this list are connected to via bluetooth